Members of the public may access public documents in Douglas County District Court criminal cases by visiting the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal.
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‘The truth finally came out’: Attorneys allege Douglas County DA’s office lied about investigation
Attorneys have alleged in a wrongful conviction case that the Douglas County district attorney and her legal counsel falsely asserted that a murder investigation was ongoing in order to delay proceedings and withhold documents.
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Brady/Giglio • Rontarus Washington Jr. • Albert Wilson • Justin Spiehs
MORe crime & courts
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Sarah Gonzales-McLinn resentenced to 25 years to life
Sarah Gonzales-McLinn will spend about 18 more years behind bars, minimum, for the 2014 murder of Harold “Hal” Sasko.
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KU to create police oversight board, implement mental health training following task force study
The University of Kansas will implement all 12 recommendations posed by a task force on […]
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Lawrence Police Department needs better training on racial and cultural divides, report finds
Of all racial and ethnic groups, Black women have the worst interactions with the Lawrence Police Department, some community members interviewed for a consultants’ report said. The report, based on listening sessions with members of the community and other stakeholders, urges the department to become more culturally competent, better engage with the community and put in place firm metrics and measurable goals.
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Traffic court resumes in Douglas County after COVID-19 pause
Traffic court is resuming on Friday mornings in Douglas County after being placed on hold since March 2020.
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Judge could grant Sarah Gonzales-McLinn a new trial — but attorneys want to agree to ‘hard 25’ sentence
An attorney fighting to get Sarah Gonzales-McLinn’s hard-50 sentence overturned has come to an agreement with prosecutors: they’re asking for 25 years to life instead for the 2014 murder.
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KU professor’s memoir shares two decades teaching writing classes at Douglas County jail
In an upcoming memoir, “Words is a Powerful Thing,” Brian Daldorph, a senior lecturer in KU’s English department, reflects on 20 years of teaching a writing class at the Douglas County jail. He also shares works of more than 50 students he’s taught over the years.
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Where did the livestreams go? Most Douglas County District Court hearings are off YouTube
Although many Douglas County District Court hearings are still occurring via Zoom videoconferencing, few are now being publicly livestreamed on YouTube, in large part because of the burden to court staff.
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Douglas County data analyst: Racial disparities in bail bonds may be further evidence of systemic racism
After a presentation on racial disparities in bail bonds, the CJCC wants to take a broader look at bond overall, the role it plays, and whether it’s effective in its overall purpose — and drill deeper to get more data.
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Kansas lawmakers make sexual extortion a crime, raise penalties for eluding police
A criminal justice bill passed by the House and Senate makes sexual extortion a crime, enforces stronger penalties for attempting to elude a police officer and allows a spouse to be charged with sexual battery.
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Black people face higher bail bonds in Douglas County, report shows; CJCC to discuss
On average, Black people must pay higher bond amounts than people of other races to be released from the Douglas County jail, according to a new report.